Rotary gas engine



C. GLEASON ROTARY GAS ENGINE March 29, 1938.

Original Filed Nov. 2, 1955 6 Sheds-Sheet l March 29, 1938. c. GLEASON 2,112,770

' ROTARY GAS ENGINE Original Filed Nov. 2, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 k 7 IIIIIIIIII v gwuc wtm J5 y (hr/9861mm 3&1 manor-v T 5 mm March 29, 1938. c. 'GLEASON ROTARY GAS ENGINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Nov. 2, 1935 March 29, 1938. c, GLEASQN 2,112,770

ROTARY GAS ENGINE Original Filed Nov. 2, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 P g uumumw wan a- T 7 M March 29, 1938. c. GLEASON ROTARY GAS ENGINE Original Filed Nov. 2, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 70 E 36 g M Z;

i 75 {I 56f March 29, 1938. c. GLEASON ROTARY (ms ENGINE Original Filed Nov. 2, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED. STATES sonar GAS ENGINE Charlea Gleason, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 2, 1935, Serial No. 48,025 Renewed September 18, 1937 13 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rotary gas engines.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a rotary gas engine which will have a rela- 5 tively high efli'ciency rating due to low friction losses, a minimum number of reciprocating parts, and a rotor which will operate under perfectly balanced conditions as to centrifugal forces and internally developed pressures.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a gas engine which will develop more horsepower per pound by weight and which may be operated at a higher rate of speed than any reciprocating piston type of engine now in common use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary gas engine which may be readily assembled and disassembled to facilitate'cleaning, repairing and replacement of parts.

A still further object of. the invention is to provide a rotary gas engine which employs means for effecting the operations of drawing in and compressing the fuel charges which are separate from the means employed for delivering the power impulses to the drive shaft and for exhausting the spent gases resulting from explosion of the fuel charges.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rotary gas engine employing this invention,

Figure 2 isa vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Figure 4 is a plan view of one stator casing section with the various rotors and the shaft illustrated as being operatively positioned therei Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the type of abutment employed throughout this rotary engme,

50 Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the abutment disclosed in Fig. 6,

Figure 8 is a developed view of the various rotors with their peripheral cams, the sliding abutments straddling the various cams, bypasses 0 interconnecting adjacent rotor compartments,

and inlet and exhaust passages for the various compartments; said view illustrating the relationship of the various fuel suction, compression, explosion, and exhausting strokes or operations for the various units of the engine, and 5 Figure 9 is a perspectiveview of the rotor.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, the reference characters I0 and H designate in their entirety the upper and lower 10 half sections of the stator casing. It will be noted that these half casing sections are securely joined together by the plurality of bolts l2 which extend through aligned apertured ears l3 formed on the stator sections, and the nuts M which are threaded on the ends of the bolts. This manner of connecting the stator casing sections together is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.

Figure 1 illustrates in top plan the exterior of the upper stator casing section It. Fig. 4 illustrates in inside plan the lower stator casing II. It is to be understood that the lower stator casing section will have the same appearance as that disclosed in Fig. 1 when viewed from the outside. Also, the upper stator casing section II) will have the same appearance as the casing section II, shown in Fig. 4, when the said section I 0 is viewed from the inside. A description of the outside of casing section III, in connection with Fig. 1, will suflice for both stator sections. A detailed description of the interior of stator casing II, in connection with Fig. 4, also will be sufficient description for the inside of stator casing section II).

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that there is provided a series of four inlet ports which bear the reference'characters l5, I6, l1, and I8. On the opposite side of the stator casing section I ll there is provided a series of exhaust ports which bear the reference characters I9, 20, 2|, and 22. In view of the fact that the drawing in of fuel 40 charges and the exhausting of spent gases occurs in each half section of the stator casing, Fig. 4 also discloses a series of inlet passages which bear the reference characters 23, 24, 25, and 26, and a series of exhaust passages which bear the reference characters 21, 28, 29, and 30.

Again referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that a series of five elongated openings are provided which bear the reference characters 3|, 32, 33,34, and 35. These openings are employed to permit 5 abutments 36, 31, 38, 39, and 40 to be inserted into operative relation with the peripheral cams of the respective rotors which will be described in detail at a later point. An equal number of openlugs and abutments are provided for the lower 2 aua'no ments. 'rheremainingts "audit willbedefinedaspowerdevelopingandspentgas exhausting compartments. It will beunderstood that the aligned and mating cavities formed in the respective stator sections cooperate to form the respective compartments II toit. or that onehalfofeachoneofthesecompartmentsis formedineachstatorcasinghalf.

Itwillbenotedfromaninspection ofl 'ig.4 that the inlet passage II extends to and communicates with one side of the compartment ll while the inlet ports it and II communicate-with.

oppoaitesidesofthetll,andthe inletportfl commlmicateswithone side ofthe' compartment ll. Likewise. it will be noted that theexhaustl'l and 28 communicate with opposite sides of the compartment '2 while the exhaustesltand Ilcommunicatewith opposite sides of the ent 08. Although not illustrated in detail, it will be understood thattheinletpassagm lland llseel'ig. Lwill communicate with adjacent sides of the compartments II and I. while the inlet passages II and It will communicate with adjacent sides of the compartments II and II. Also, the nhaust ports I! and II will communicate with opposite sides of the compartment '2 while the exhaust a II and I will communicate with opposite sides of .the compartment II." In other words, the various inlet ll toll inclusive, are associated with the compartments ll, ,andflinthesamemannerastheinletpassages 23 to II, while the exhaust passages II to", inclusive,arearrangedwithrespectto the compartments .2 and. in the same manner the exhalntpassages II to II.

inFlg.4asforming connectionsbetweenthe adiacent sidesofallofthetsllto I. Thaebypassesfunctiontopermitthe fer of compremedfuel fromthe II to II, inclusive, to thecompartments 82 'flwithinthelowerstatorsecflonli. Itwillbe understoombyinspectingm. 2,thattheupper statorscctionllispmvidedwithalikenumber offuelllforacccmplishingthesune mrposeasthebypassesprovidedinthelowastatorsection ii: Itwillbe-notedbyinspeciing l'lgatandiitbatthesparkphmsarelocated sothatonewillbeprovidedforeachoneofthe fuelbypasses.

ByinspeetingFigs.4and5.itwillbeseenthat thesectionsofthestatorcasingareprovidedon opposite sidesofeachone ofthe compartments ittoflwithbearlngcompartmentsti which receive anti-friction bearings OI. 'Ihese bearings are arranged to Journal the shaft 61 which extendsaxiallythroughallofthecompartmenta It to I, inclusive.

Buitablykeyedtotheshaft Il andarrangedin the compartments It to II, inclusive, are rotors I. Each one of these rotors is provided with a peripheral cam whichis d in its entirety by the reference character 60. Each one of these cams I is provided with two, di-

ametricalLv opposed, straight portions III which.

are staggered with respect to each other. That is, the opposed straight portions III for each mtor I! are arranged inv axially spaced relation. These straight portions-l will be defined as cam closuresin'viewoftheirfunctioningtoclosethe inlet ports and the fuel w which communicate with their respective compartments.

Interconnecting adjacent ends of the cam closures 10 are cross-over portions II. There willbetwoofthwe cross-overportions'llpro? vldedforeachofthecams". Thesecrossoverportionsliwillbedefinedascamheadsin view of the fact that they function in the same manner as double acting piston heads in drawing in fuel charges and compressing said charges.

Suitably fastened to the shaft I1, and coon-.- pyins the compartments I: and it, are rotors 11.;

These rotors will be defined as impulse delivering and spent gas exhausting rotors in view of the fact that they deliver the power impulses to the shaft '1 and function to exhaust the spent gases after explosion and expansion of the same. These rotors II are provided with peripheral cams which will be designated in their entirety by the reference character 13. Each one of these cams II is provided with diametrically arranged straightportionsll whlch,asinthecaseofthe st1'aigbtportlonsllofthecams,willbedefined as cam closures for thue straight portions ll Motion to close the fuel bypasses O4 and m if H 'w.

I. 'lhesecamclosures Ilarestaggeredinthe same manner as that described'in connection with the cam portions ll. Interconnecting ad- M II to 22, inclusive, and, 21 to ll, inclusive, for the compartments '2 and jacentendsofthecamclosuresllarecross-over.

portions II. These cross-over portiom also will bedefinedascamheadsbecausetheyflmction inthcsamemannerasdouble actingpistonsto receive the power impulses developed by the firingofthevariouschargesandtoexhaustthe spent gases resulting from the explosion of the compressed fuel charges delivered to the compartments l2 and '3.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate one of the abutments 80 to ll, inclusive, and 40 to II. inclusive. As all of these abutments are formed alike, a description of one of the same will be sufilcient. The abutment of Figs. 6 and 7 isof shell-like or hollow construction with apertured reinforcing webs 16 formed therein in the manner illustrated. The

central portion of the abutment is cut away at II to accommodate its rotor cam. The cut-away portion TI is provided at its mid-section with straight, parallel surfaces It. Flat, diverging surfaces ll areformed laterally of the straight cen tral surfaces 18. The straight parallel surfaces "aredesigned tocooperatewith thecamclosure portions of the cam straddled by the abutment. The cooperation of these straight surfaces II and the cam closures is such that no leakage of fuel, gas, or the like, will be permittedpast the same. The diverging surfaces ll of the cut-away portion 17 are designed to cooperate with the opposite side surfaces of the cam heads for the cam with which the abutment is associated. This cooperation between the diverging surfaces 19 and the cam heads is illustrated in Fig. 6. It will be understood that one diverging surface 19 for each straight central surface I8 will cooperate simultaneously with one cam head. The remaining two diverging surfaces 19 will simultaneously cooperate with the remaining cam head of the cam straddled by the abutment. In this way, no leakage of fuel, or the like, will be permitted while the cam heads of the cams are passing through the abutments. The junctures of the cam heads and cam closures are sloped in such a manner that they will smoothly ride through the cutaway portions 11 and will effectively bring about the change in contact between the surfaces 18 and 19 of the abutment and the side surfaces of the cam heads and closures.

The abutments are made hollow to make them as light as possible. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 disclose the openings 3| to 35 and 4| to 45 as being uncovered. It will be understood, however, that all of these openings will be closed in a suitable v manner.

Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, illustrate proper coring 80 for the stator casing sections to permit circulation of a cooling medium therethrough. Openings 8| are provided at the opposite ends of the stator casing sections, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5, which may be 'used for circulating a cooling medium if desired. This coring 80 is ar-' ranged to permit circulation of the cooling medium around all of the bearings, the various compartments 59 to 63, the fuel inlet and exhaust passages, the various fuel bypasses, etc., to effectively cool all working parts of the engine.

Fig. 5 clearly illustrates that all of the rotors 68 are hollowed out at 82 to permit eflicient cooling of these rotors. The rotors I2 are illustrated in this figure as having the body portions of the same and their cams hollowed out at 83. This hollow formation of all of the rotors will permit of the circulation of a cooling medium therethrough. The exact manner of accomplishing this circulation is not completely illus- .trated, however, it may be effected in any suitable way.

The development view of Fig. 8 will be employed for describing the mode of operation of this engine.

In Fig. 8 it will be noted that the cam heads H of the rotors located in the compartments 59, 60, and 6| are advanced with reference to the cam heads 15 on the rotors located in the compartments 62 and 63. In Fig. 4, however, the cam heads H are illustrated as being arranged in alignment with the cam heads 15. The arrangement of the respective cam heads in Fig. 8 illustrates the operation of this rotary gas engine at a high compression ratio to cause the cam closure portions 10 to close the fuel bypasses 64 when the cam heads 15 start their power strokes. In the arrangement of Fig. 4, the cam heads 15 are advanced through their power strokes before the cam closures I close the fuel by-passes 64. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the compression ratio of this form of engine can be varied widely by changing the relationship between the cam heads H and the cam heads 15.

Fig. 8 discloses the various peripheral cams for the different rotors, the abutments associated with said earns, the various fuel inlet passages and fuel outlet passages, and the fuel by-passes with their associated charge igniting devices. In describing the operation of this arrangement of elements, the relationship between each charge forming and feeding rotor and its cooperating power developing rotor will be simultaneously referred to. g

The mechanism associated with the compartment functions to draw in charges of fuel, compress the same, and feed the compressed charges to the left side of .the cam carried by the rotor located in the power compartment 62. It will be noted that the upper cam head 'II has just completed compressing and feeding a charge of fuel through its by-pass 64 into the compartment 62 above the uppercam head 15. The igniting device 5| therefore will ignite this com pressed charge and deliver a power impulse to the left hand face of the upper cam head 15 for the compartment 62. The cam closure Ill located above the abutment 36 has closed the bypass 64. Thelower cam head H for the compartment 59 is completing its suctionstroke in which it has drawn a charge of fuel through the inlet passage l5. The upper cam head II for the compartment 591s passing through the abut ment 36 and is starting on a compression stroke. Before the compression stroke has progressed to any great extent, the cam closure 14, located in compartment 62, will have advanced through the abutment 4! for closing the adjacent end of the lower by-pass 64 so that this charge of fuel may be compressed in the compartment 59. The lower cam head II in the compartment 59 is passing throughthe abutment 46 and is just starting on a fuel suction stroke wherein a charge of fuel will be drawn through the inlet passage 23. The lower cam head 15 in the compartment 62 is starting an exhaust stroke which will exhaust the charge fired by the ignition device 55 through the exhaust passage IQ for the compartment 62.

The cooperation between the left hand side of the cam located in compartment 60 with the right hand side of the cam located in compartment 62 now will be described.

The upper cam head II in the compartment 50 is just completing a suction stroke in which a charge of fuel has been drawn through the inlet passage 24. As this cam head ll passes through the abutment 38, it starts on a suction stroke during which a charge of fuel will be drawn in through the passage I6. The lower cam head 'II in the compartment 60 has just completed a compression and fuel feeding stroke and has fed a charge of fuel into the compartment 62 rearwardly of the lower cam head 15 located in this compartment. this charge which will deliver a power impulse to this lower cam head 15. The upper cam head 15 in compartment 62 is starting on an exhaust stroke during which the charge fired by the ignition device 52 will be expelled through the exhaust port 28.

It now will be seen that both cam heads 15 located in the compartment 62 simultaneously receive power impulses and simultaneously effect exhausting of previously exploded charges. As these cam heads 15 are located at diametrically opposed points of the shaft 51, these power impulses and power pressure forces will be completely balanced. The sides of the cams located in compartments 59 and 60 which draw in fuel charges, compress the same, and feed them to the The igniting device 56 will fire opposite sides of the cam located in compartment 62, will perform their suction and compression strokes in a perfect balanced relation both axially of the engine and radially.

The mode of operation and cooperation between the opposite sides of the cam. located in operation and cooperative relationship between the cams of compartments SIL'SI, and 03.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is intended to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resortedto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjolned claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator, a shaft journaled in said stator, a plurality of rotors mounted on said shaft,

means operatively associated with certain of said rotors for causing each of the latter to deliver four power impulses to the shaftand exhaust the spent gases resulting from said impulses during each complete revolution of the shaft, means op eratively associated with the remaining rotors for causing the latter to draw in, compress and feed to the first-mentioned rotors fuel charges sufflclent in number to produce said power impulses, and means for causing each of the power rotors to receive the fuel charges for half of its impulses from one of said fuel feeding rotors and the remainder from another of said feeding rotors.

2. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator, a shaft 'iournaledin said stator, a plurality of rotors mounted on said shaft, means operatively with said rotors for causing the latter to deliver the explosion forces to the shaft and to exhaust the spent gases, 9. plurality of different devices driven by the shaft for drawing in fuel charges, compressing said charges, and delivering the compressed charges to said rotors, and means for causing the fuel charges to be delivered to each of the power rotors by a plurality of the charge delivering devices.

3. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator, a shaft journaied in said stator, a plurality of rotors mounted on said shaft, means operatively associated with said rotors for causing each of the latter to deliver a plurality of power impulses to the shaft and exhaust the spent gases resulting from said impulses during each complete revolution of the shaft, a plurality of independent devices driven by the shaft for drawing in, compressing, and feeding fuel charges to the rotors suflicient in number to produce the desired power impulses, and means forv causing'each power rotor to receive the fuel charges for its successive impulses from differentones of the fuel charge feeding devices. A

'4.A rotarygas engineofthe type described comprising a stator split into a plurality of parts, means for connecting said parts, a shaft journaled in said stator, a plurality of rotors mounted on said shaft, means operatively associated with certain of said rotors for causing the latter to deliver the explosion forces to the shaft and to exhaust the spent gases, means operatively associated with the remaining rotors for causing the charges, and deliver the compressed charges tothe first-mentioned rotors, and means for causing the fuel charges to be deliveredto each of the power rotors from a plurality of the charge delivering rotors.

5. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator split axially into a plurality of parts, means for connecting said parts, a plurality of rotor compartments formed in said. stator, a shaft Journaled in said stator to extend axially of all of said compartments, a rotor for each compartment mounted on said shaft, means operatively associated with certain of said rotors for causing each of the latter to deliver a plurality of power impulses to the shaft and exhaust the spent gases which produced said impulses during eachcomplete revolution of the shaft, and means operatively assoelated with the remaining rotors for causing the latter to draw in, compress, vand feed to the first-mentioned rotors fuel charges sumcient in number to produce said power impulses, each of said power rotors and its compartment receiving compressed fuel charges for its successive impulses from different ones of the fuel feeding compartments. v

6. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator split axially into a plurality of .parts, means for connecting said parts, a plurality of rotor compartments formed in said stator, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially of all of said compartments, a rotor for each compartment mounted on said shaft, each rotor having a peripheral cam formed thereon, each cam being divided into a plurality of straight portions arranged in staggered relation around said rotor with cross-over portions interposed between said straight portions, a plurality of abutments slidably mounted in said stator and arranged to straddle said cams, bypasses extending between all of the adjacent rotor compartments, fuel inlet ports communicating with each of certain of said compartments, and spent gas exhaust ports communicating with each of the remaining compartments on both sides of the cams of their rotors.

7. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator split axially into a plurality of parts, means for connecting said parts, a plurality of. rotor compartments formed in said stator, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially of all of said compartments, a rotor for each compartment mounted on said shaft, each rotor having a peripheral cam formed thereon, each cam being divided into a .plu-" rality of straight portions arranged in staggered relation around said rotor with cross-over portions interposed between said straight portions, a plurality of abutments slidably mounted in said sector and arranged to straddle said cams, by-

p.connected to all adjacent rotor compartments and located circumferentially between adjacent abutments for the rotors of the connected compartments, a charge igniting device associated with each by-pass, fuel inlet ports comall of said compartments, a rotor mounted on said shaft within each compartment, means associated with certain of said rotors and their compartments for effecting drawing in of fuel charges, compressing said charges and delivering the compressed charges to the remaining compartments, means associated with the remaining rotors and their compartments for effecting delivery of explosive forces to the shaft and exhausting the spent gases, compressed fuel delivering passages connecting each of the latter mentioned compartments with more than one of the fuel delivering compartments, inlet ports for the fuel compressing compartments, and exhaust ports for the remaining compartments.

9. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator having a plurality of rotor receiving compartments formed therein, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially through all of said compartments, a rotor mounted on said shaft within each compartment, means associated with certain of said rotors and their compartments for effecting drawing in of fuel charges, compressing said charges and delivering the compressed charges to the remaining compartments, means associated with the remaining rotors and their compartments for effecting delivery of explosive forces to the shaft and exhausting the spent gases, compressed fuel delivering passages connecting each of the latter mentioned compartments with more than one of the fuel delivering compartments, inlet ports for the fuel compressing compartments, exhaust ports for the remaining compartments, and means carried by said rotors for effecting properly timed opening and closing of the inlet and exhaust ports and both ends of said fuel passages. 10. A rotary gas engine of the type describe comprising a stator having a plurality of rotor receiving compartments formed therein, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially through all of said compartments, a rotor mounted on said shaft within each compartment, means associated with certain of said rotors and their compartments for effecting drawing in of fuel charges, compressing said charges and delivering the compressed charges to the remaining compartments, means associated with the remaining rotors and their compartments for effecting delivery of explosive forces to the shaft and exhausting the spent gases, compressed fuel delivering passages connecting each of the latter mentioned compartments with more than one of the fuel delivering compartments, inlet ports for the fuel compressing compartments, exhaust ports for the remaining compartments, means carried by said rotors for effecting properly timed opening and closing of the inlet and exhaust ports and both ends of said fuel passages, and a charge igniting device for each of said fuel passages.

11. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator having a plurality of rotor receiving compartments formed therein, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially through all of said compartments, a rotor mounted on said shaft within each compartment, means associated with certain of said rotors and their compartments for effecting drawing in of fuel charges, compressing said charges and delivering the compressed charges to the remaining com;- partments, mean's associated with the remaining rotors and their compartments for effecting delivery of explosive forces to the shaft and exhausting the spent gases, a plurality of compressed fuel delivering passages connecting each of the latter mentioned compartments with more than one of the fuel delivering compartments, a plurality of inlet ports for each fuel compressing compartment, and a plurality of exhaust ports for each of the remaining compartments.

12. A rotary gas engine of the type described comprising a stator having a plurality of rotor receiving compartments formed therein, a shaft journaled in said stator to extend axially through all of the said compartments, a rotor mounted on said shaft within each compartment, means associated with certain of said rotors and their compartments for causing each of said rotors and compartments to effect drawing in of a plurality of fuel charges compressing said charges and delivering the same to the remaining compartments during each revolution of the shaft, means associated with the remaining rotors and their compartments for causing each of said rotors and compartments to effect delivery of a plurality of explosive forces to the shaft and to exhaust the spent gases for said explosions during each revolution of the shaft, a plurality of compressed fuel delivering passages connecting each of the latter mentioned compartments with more than one of the fuel delivering compartments, a plurality of inlet ports for each fuel compressing compartment, and a plurality of exhaust ports for each of the remaining compartments.

13. A rotary gas engine of the type defined in claim 12, further characterized by the means associated with all of said rotors and compartments being so constructed and arranged as to cause the forces delivered to the various rotors and their shaft, during drawing in, compressing, exploding and exhausting of the various fuel charges for each revolution of the shaft to be distributed along and around the shaft so as to be balanced both axially and radially of the shaft.

CHARLES GLEASON. 

